Haunted
by Just Jill
Summary: Obi-Wan has been having nightmares - and then things get worse. Book three of Visions of the Past, Memories of the Future. Sequel to Long Road Home
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I am in no way affiliated with George Lucas or Star Wars. I have borrowed some people and a lot of the world created by Dave Wolverton and Jude Watson from the Jedi Apprentice books, but they are not mine. I am making no money off of this.

Writer's Note: Many, many thanks to **Jovieve** for beta reading this, and for helping me to fix all the problems I didn't even know existed. You are awsome. Thanks.

Ch. 1: "Memories Can Fade" - Britney Spears, _Autumn Good-Bye_

"Obi-Wan."

The voice was accompanied by a gentle nudge through his Padawan bond, and Obi-Wan Kenobi struggled to open his eyes. The passenger seat of the two-man transport was no more comfortable than it had been when they'd left Kagran 3, but he'd rather stay in it than get out of it. The engine pinged, cooling, and he realized they'd landed. Finally, he opened his eyes to mere slits and found the blurry shape that was Qui-Gon Jinn. "Yes, Master."

"You will be much more comfortable in your own bed," Qui-Gon said gently. "We are home."

"Yes, Master." The news made moving slightly less odious. Leaning forward and grasping under his seat, he found the strap of his knapsack and climbed out of the transport hatch. The massive hanger was dim; behind his Master, the doorway was filled with the false light of Coruscant at night. Good. He'd be able to sleep. If he could get rid of this stinking tunic. If he could do that, he could save refreshing himself until he woke up. Anticipation of his own bed made him clumsy as he landed, and he barely managed to keep his feet. He caught sight of his Master's half-smile before Qui-Gon turned away to lead the way into the Temple.

The lights were dimmed for night in the halls of the Temple, and it relieved Obi-Wan. It meant fewer Jedi would see - or smell - their arrival. He actually saw very little but the fall of his Master's hair down his back. When Qui-Gon stopped, Obi-Wan roused enough to realize they were waiting for a lift. He started to lean against the wall, only to have Qui-Gon's hand stop him. "Don't, Padawan. You will only fall asleep, and you will be very embarrassed if I have to carry you back to our quarters."

Obi-Wan flushed and straightened. "I'm not that small anymore," he protested weakly, half incoherent, remembering the time he'd collapsed in the council chamber. He'd been gone for nearly a year from the Temple, and had been brought back, injured. Theela had been upset that the Council had asked to see him about his actions before he was quite recovered to go.

"You were not that small five years ago," Qui-Gon reminded him. "And you were only a little more tired than you are now."

The lift opened and saved him from having to respond. He followed his Master inside, taking care not to lean against the wall there, either. Finally, the lift stopped and the doors opened to let them out on their residence level. Obi-Wan knew he should use the Force to keep alert, but he'd reached the end of his endurance on the flight back to Coruscant. It felt wonderful to be back, to have the Force palpably around him. He shuffled after Qui-Gon, stopping suddenly once he realized they'd reached their common room. He didn't remember leaving the lift or even walking the hallway.

"Go to bed, Padawan," Qui-Gon said gently. "You can clean up when you wake."

"Thank you, Master," Obi-Wan breathed, and stumbled into his own room. "Alarm off," he mumbled, and paused long enough to make sure the alarm had understood him. Tossing the bag in the corner, he set his lightsaber on the bedside table and started to unbuckle his belt. It landed across his desk; his tunic covered his travel bag, followed by his under tunic and leggings. He started to grab clean sleep clothes out of his drawer, hesitated, and decided against them. He collapsed onto his sleep couch. "Lights off."

The darkness was perfect. With a sigh, he pulled the blankets firmly around him and dropped to sleep.

_He couldn't move. The situation was too familiar, the Force-frozen air around him, Master Sorin's hand on his braid, pulling. His Master sneered at him, "you are barely worthy of my time..." But this time the voice was Master Jinn's._

With a start, Obi-Wan woke, still frozen, the pressure on his braid real. He reached up to touch on the lamp affixed to the head of his sleep couch, and his braid pulled free. He sighed with relief, but then shuddered. It had just caught under his arm, but it had felt so much like the pressure Sorin had put on it. He reached for the gaudy datapad that he kept in the drawer of his nightstand, idly wishing again the shop had a datapad that was a bit more… subdued. He shook the thought off. What was, was. Maybe the dream was just an old memory, but none of his former Masters had ever spoken with Qui-Gon's voice in any of his previous dreams, and that had been disconcerting. Recording the dream, he dropped the datapad on the table and doused the light, snugging back into his blankets. Within seconds, he was asleep.

"No, Anakin."

His words woke him, his heart pounding. He sat up and reached to turn the lamp on again, comforted by the light. His hand shook - all of him did, but he didn't know why. The dream he'd had was fading, leaving only the feeling of betrayal and a deep-seated grief that increased until he felt nothing else. He pulled his knees to his chest, wrapped his arms around his legs, and buried his face in his knees as he rocked back and forth. His breath came in gasps as he fought for control, not even sure when or how he'd lost it.

A knock on his door brought his head up sharply, and he stared at the door. "Obi-Wan?"

For an instant, he was surprised to hear the voice and feel the concern echoing down his bond. In the wake of the surprise came a displaced feeling, as if his Master had no business being there.

Raising a trembling hand, he waved the door open. The Force responded sluggishly, but it obeyed. "I'm sorry I woke you, Master," Obi-Wan said, his voice trembling.

"May I come in?" The voice was gentle, but somehow felt... out of place. In the dim light from his lamp, he could see concern on Qui-Gon's face.

"Yes." He rested his forehead on his knees again, struggling with the strange feeling. His sleep couch shifted as his Master sat down, close enough to touch.

"What happened?"

"A... a dream." He struggled to force the words out. "B-but I don't understand."

"What happened in your dream?" Qui-Gon's voice was calm, quiet, and still, somehow, wrong. Wrong that he was in the room with him.

"A... man - young man - a Knight, a little older than me. We fought. He turned against me, so angry." He paused for breath, trying to remember. "And he... attacked." He couldn't even remember clearly what had happened, the face of the Knight that had done this. Only an unbearable feeling of guilt and betrayal, and a sadness that seemed to have no end remained of the dream. He fought to keep it all in, to release it into the Force, and none of it would go.

"Attacked?"

"Me. I went, I tried to..." But then the grief was too much and he couldn't speak any more.

Qui-Gon reached out to place an arm around his shoulders. "It's okay, Padawan." Gently, he drew Obi-Wan closer, to lean against him. The touch, both physical and mental broke his restraint and he sobbed into his Master's shoulder.

It felt even more wrong, for some reason, that his Master was there. That seemed to make his grief worse, and he gripped Qui-Gon's sleep tunic, trying to pull him closer, to bring everything back to normal, but he couldn't. He could do nothing but wait for the storm to pass. His Master held him gently, humming tunelessly, a familiar comforting sound.

Slowly, gradually, the rightness of it all returned and his sobs eased. His head ached, his eyes burned, but the grief had eased as well, and by the time he let go and drew away from his Master, he no longer felt so bereft and out of control.

"Feel better?" Qui-Gon asked gently, his hand on Obi-Wan's bare shoulder, curiosity and worry in the bond.

"Yes, Master. Thank you." Obi-Wan took a deep breath.

"Good." He squeezed his Padawan's shoulder and tugged gently on his braid, then stood up. Obi-Wan cringed and caught himself, hoping Qui-Gon hadn't noticed. The first dream was still too close. "Don't forget to write it down, Padawan. And go to sleep." He hesitated a moment. "We'll speak more on this tomorrow," he added quietly.

Obi-Wan nodded. "Yes, Master."

Qui-Gon paused at the door, then stepped back to Obi-Wan's desk and activated a night light located there. He stepped swiftly out the door, allowing it to close behind him.

Obi-Wan knew he was too old to need a night light. But he appreciated the gesture, and he knew he needed it tonight, no matter how close he was to his trials.

He didn't remember much of the dream anymore, but he picked up the datapad and recorded both the little that he could remember and his reaction to it. As he lay down to go back to sleep, he wished he could remember the name he'd said when he'd woken up. He didn't usually remember places or names, but he had the feeling this one was going to be important.

When he turned off his bedside light, the soft glow over his desk comforted and eased him, and he slipped easily back to sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

Ch. 2: "He was the Only One There" - Ace of Base, Ravine

Qui-Gon paused outside of Obi-Wan's door as it slid closed, confused and worried. It was a rather familiar feeling - after all, this was Obi-Wan - but this display of emotion was uncharacteristic of his Padawan. He did not remember ever having seen Obi-Wan so out of control, ever. Well, not since Arioch, he corrected himself, before he'd become the young man's Master. He hadn't missed that his Padawan had decided not to dress for bed, either. It had pleased him to see that Obi-Wan had no new scars - and even those he'd gotten from before Qui-Gon started to train him had faded past recall.

The grief he'd felt from Obi-Wan had confused him when it woke him up. He'd only felt that when he dreamed of Tahl, and he hadn't that night. He seldom dreamed of her anymore, but he appreciated the reminder of her he got in his dreams. Tonight, though, it hadn't taken him long to realize the grief was leaking down the bond from Obi-Wan. The most confusing part had been the sheer... wrongness he'd felt when he'd sat next to his Padawan. Even stepping into the room had felt as if he were in an alternate reality, where he... no longer existed. Had Obi-Wan felt it, too?

Shaking his head to clear it, he turned to go back into his own room. He would ask nothing of his Padawan tonight, and he didn't think he'd find the answers anywhere else. It might simply have been his own exhaustion, he admitted to himself as he sank down on his sleep couch. The mission had been difficult for both of them, and waking up in the middle of their night was enough to throw everything off. Still, he needed to know if something was wrong. Tomorrow would bring his answers.

When Qui-Gon woke again about mid-day, he felt well rested. He checked the bond with Obi-Wan, relieved to find his Padawan peacefully asleep. Obi-Wan's reaction to last night's dream had been the worst so far. Rising, he dressed - while Obi-Wan had not minded falling into bed without cleaning up, Qui-Gon had - and went into the main room to the kitchenette to make himself something to eat.

He had finished with his meal and made himself some tea by the time he heard Obi-Wan moving around, changing his bedding and using the refresher. By the time Obi-Wan emerged, looking every inch the proper Padawan (except the wrappers on his braid), Qui-Gon had finished his second cup of tea.

"I'm sorry I woke you last night, Master," Obi-Wan said, standing in front of him.

Qui-Gon nodded, accepting the apology. "There's Tumerian soup on the range if you want some."

If his nod hadn't been enough, Obi-Wan's stomach let out a growl that made him flush. He retrieved a bowl of the soup and a glass of milk, and sat down across from Qui-Gon with them. Qui-Gon waited until he'd nearly finished before speaking. "I was concerned about your reaction to that dream."

Obi-Wan's spoon stopped halfway to his mouth. "It was strange," he agreed.

"What did you feel?" Qui-Gon asked.

Obi-Wan contemplated his nearly-empty bowl for a moment. "Grief," he said finally. "As if something or someone I loved had been torn away from me."

Yes. That had woken Qui-Gon with its intensity. "Anything else?"

"Betrayal," Obi-Wan said, and hesitated. "There was this… feeling of wrongness," he went on, apparently searching for words, "as if you'd gone away and were unreachable. Like you shouldn't be there."

"I felt it, too," Qui-Gon said. "Out of place is the best way to put it. As if I didn't belong in your room, or anywhere near you." He'd promised Obi-Wan, before he'd chosen to train the boy, that he would stay out of his room unless invited. He'd broken that promise exactly twice - both due to Obi-Wan's nightmares. He did not intend to break it again.

Obi-Wan set his spoon down. "I don't understand, Master. Why... why would the Force make me feel that way?"

Qui-Gon paused, playing with the tea mug before him. "I don't know, Padawan. I felt it, too. I did not know if it was because you wished me gone."

Obi-Wan fell silent and began to eat again, and Qui-Gon's heart contracted within him. "No," the Padawan said finally. "You were welcome. But..." He hesitated, taking the last bite of his soup. "The dream that woke you wasn't my only dream." Whatever he had been about to say, he apparently did not want to say it.

"Was the other as disturbing?"

"One was. I dreamed of Master Sorin, but..." He hesitated again, almost as if he wished he hadn't brought it up. "But he spoke with your voice. That's never happened before."

"What did he say?"

Obi-Wan shifted nervously as he set the spoon in the empty bowl. "He said I was barely worth his time."

Qui-Gon's brow furrowed. Surely, Obi-Wan didn't think for a moment he felt that way. "I can imagine that was disturbing."

Obi-Wan got up to refill his bowl, as if he needed a little distance. "Yes. And I would have passed it off as nothing, the dream, I mean, since my braid was caught under my arm and it pulled, except for that." Obi-Wan gave a self-conscious half-shrug as he returned to the table and sat down again. "The other dream, after the one you know about, was nice." A smile lit his face, slowly, like a sun coming over the horizon. "I was... soaring, gliding over this... beautiful landscape, all green, with trees and a river. I knew I should have been worried about something, but it was too beautiful not to enjoy."

"A nice feeling?"

"It was amazing. There was this... feeling of freedom."

"I've had dreams like that," Qui-Gon said as he got up, refilled his mug from the teapot, and sat down again. "It was even a place I recognized - Arioch."

Obi-Wan's smile grew wider. "That would have been nice, to even go back in dreams."

"You'll go back, Padawan."

Obi-Wan gave him a curious look, but went back to his meal. Qui-Gon wondered at the look, and then realized why he'd gotten it. He'd said 'you', not 'we'. Strange slip of the tongue, since he'd been thinking about returning there sometime soon. But he still had not addressed what had so bothered him the night before. "Obi-Wan, what in your dream was so… devastating to you?"

Obi-Wan set his spoon down again, and Qui-Gon felt a flash of frustration from his Padawan. "I don't know," he said honestly. "It was as if… as if the attack was one more thing in a long line of things gone wrong, and then you were there and weren't supposed to be…." He trailed off, then shook his head. "I can't explain it better. I don't know what was wrong." He closed his eyes and released his frustration into the Force.

The comm unit chimed, indicating a message from the council, giving Obi-Wan a reprieve from trying to find more words. Qui-Gon waved it on. "Master Jinn," a generic electric voice said, "the council would hear your report immediately after late meal." He waved it off when the message finished. That gave them some time to get thoroughly checked in, and meant they'd have a chance to eat that evening as well.

Obi-Wan finished his soup and got up to put the bowl in the sink. "Thank you for the meal, Master," he said, and went back into his room to fix his braid and do whatever else he felt he needed.

Qui-Gon had just gotten up to fix another cup of tea, this one with muscle relaxers in it, when the comm chimed a more generic note. With a gesture, he activated it. "Qui-Gon Jinn speaking," he said.

This comm was from Mind Healer Ulani Satoru, wanting to schedule a visit with Obi-Wan. Qui-Gon set it up for the same time the dining hall began serving the late meal, two hours before the appointment with the council. He signed off and returned to his contemplation and his now cold fresh cup of tea.

Obi-Wan emerged a while later, his braid neat, markers in place, looking much more the Jedi Padawan he was. The black band on his braid stood out in sharp contrast to his other markers and his reddish hair. Obi-Wan used it to mark the time he'd left the Temple, thinking he'd killed his Master. Yoda had allowed the deviation from standard Padawan markers, but only after Obi-Wan had spoken in his own defense. He'd stated, firmly, that it would remind him to assess the situation correctly, and accept the consequences, rather than running off and finding himself in more trouble. Qui-Gon still had some doubts about the wisdom of allowing the wrap, but had no reason at the time to deny his Padawan the reminder.

"Master Satoru commed. He'd like to see you during the first hour of late meal."

"Yes, Master," Obi-Wan responded, looking up from the datapad he'd walked out of his room reading.

Qui-Gon leaned back in his chair and indulged in a bone-creaking stretch, and several of his joints cracked sharply. He had to hide a wince at the pain in his arms and back. The trip back to Coruscant hadn't been very comfortable for him.

"Stiff?" Obi-Wan asked knowingly.

"A little." He smiled back at his Padawan.

"I told you not to get yourself arrested. Those cells were uncomfortable for me because they were so small, and you were there longer." Obi-Wan set his datapad down on the table and took Qui-Gon's teacup.

"It was necessary," Qui-Gon said.

"Maybe." It was the first time Obi-Wan had conceded that point. Qui-Gon would have liked to see his Padawan's face, but he was refilling the teacup. "I was going to the heated pools near the Healer's Wing before meeting with Master Satoru. Do you want to come?"

Qui-Gon paused to consider. Obi-Wan still had assignments to complete, and he should suggest his Padawan work on those. After a moment, he decided against it. A little relaxation would do them both good, and the late meal would start soon - one reason he'd picked Tumarian soup when he'd risen. It wouldn't interfere with the meal this evening. "Yes, I think that is a good idea," he said.

A few moments later, they left their quarters. Obi-Wan looked over the datapad Qui-Gon had gotten him, and he noticed his Padawan grimace at it, although he didn't know if the grimace were directed at the loud design or the dream he read. They found swim trunks in the changing room, leaving their robes and everything there, and went into the hall.

The heated pools were located in a large hall not far from the Healer's wing. Sunken pools dotted the floor, a tough green plant ground cover filling the space between them instead of slippery cement. The low murmur of conversation filled the room as much as the humidity. Healers moved between the pools nearest the door, where their patients rested and soaked and recovered.

An occupant of one of the pools called a cheerful greeting to Obi-Wan, and Qui-Gon had to look closely to recognize Obi-Wan's childhood friend. Garen had grown and filled out, bigger than Obi-Wan across the shoulders, and his hair had lightened. The main difference was the hint of pain in the way he sat, however, and Qui-Gon wondered if he were here by medical orders rather than choice. He smiled at the stab of pleasure and then embarrassment coming down the bond from his Padawan.

"It's okay, Obi-Wan. Go catch up with your friend. I will find another companion." He squeezed Obi-Wan's shoulder as Obi-Wan stammered his thanks.

Qui-Gov wove idly through the pools, nodding to those who greeted him until he found a pool holding a knight he hadn't seen in a long while. Her enthusiastic greeting made him feel welcome, and he willingly slipped into the pool with her, laying his towel within reach. Caught up in the conversation with her, he barely noticed how the water eased his aches.


	3. Chapter 3

Ch. 3: "Kings and Queens will Have to Wait" - A*Teens, Bouncing Off the Ceiling (Upside Down)

Obi-Wan sank gratefully into the warm water and grinned at his friend. "I didn't expect to find you here," he said. "Bant told me you weren't to return for a while. We ran into her at the Senate building a standard month ago."

Garen grimaced. "We weren't. We ran into trouble."

Obi-Wan's smile slipped. "Care to tell me?"

Garen shrugged, and winced at the movement. "We were only supposed to observe," he said. Obi-Wan figured he wasn't allowed to name the system. "But we got caught between the security forces and the rebels. My Master was injured so badly in the confrontation, he's in long-term care and is bedridden." His rubbed his left shoulder a little. With an embarrassed glance at Obi-Wan, he cleared his throat and straightened, slowly.

"Will Master Zanith recover?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Master Healer Ashthoret says it will be a while, but soon he will be getting me into trouble again." Gareth sounded like he was trying to cheer up.

Obi-Wan nodded and touched his friend's right shoulder. "Sounds like Theela," he said softly. "What happened to you?"

Garen flushed and shifted slightly, wincing as he did so. "I dodged the wrong way early in the fight, and got hit with a scrambler. I fell and twisted my back when I landed. I come every day because master healer Ashthoret says it's good for me."

"How was your master injured?"

Gareth slid deeper into the water. "I didn't see what happened to him. The doctor told me he'd been caught in a crossfire and hadn't managed to get out of the way. The security forces got us to the medical center, and as soon as Master Zenith could travel, they sent us here. They needed the room because of the number of casualties."

"I am sorry," Obi-wan said. "Is there anything I can do?"

Garen seemed to cheer up. "Tell me of your mission," he said. "Who needs the pools, you or Master Jinn?"

Obi-Wan grinned. "My Master, but don't tell him that. I got him here by making him think I needed to visit them." He sobered. "We had to split up on Jicynda, trying to find the Prelate's daughter. She had disappeared with her husband, leaving a child behind, and no one knew if it was because they'd been kidnapped, or if they left for another reason." Obi-Wan shook his head. "They are very particular about how strangers interact with the citizens, especially the women, and I wasn't as careful as I should have been. I got arrested. The cells are underground, and even the natives can't stand upright in them. I'm taller than most of them." He leaned back, arching his back to ease the tension in his shoulders. He was glad that Garen was there; his friend was a welcome distraction, and helped him keep his mind off his appointment with the Mind Healer later that evening. He was not looking forward to telling Master Satoru his dreams. "The cells were too small for me to stand up or even lay down comfortably, and even sitting, my head brushed the ceiling. I wasn't there long, maybe a day, but it was long enough."

"And your Master?"

Obi-Wan shook his head, exasperated. "There are times I do not understand him," he said thoughtfully. "My Master had himself arrested to try to impart a lesson to me, and spent two days in those cells. I wasn't allowed to visit, but I could imagine how uncomfortable he must have been. He's so much bigger than I am." He growled in frustration. "The worst part is, I don't know what he wanted me to understand, and I think he is... disappointed in me."

Garen opened his mouth, probably to protest, then nodded in understanding, a matching look of frustration on his face. "It seems to be how it goes. The lessons get more subtle, the closer we get to the Trials."

Obi-Wan nodded and released his frustration into the Force.

They were quiet for a while, muscles relaxing in the warm water. Obi-Wan closed his eyes and let his body relax further. Jedi walked by, the ground cover muffling their footsteps. Others splashed as they moved around, getting in and out of the pools. If only he didn't have the appointments today.

"You two look rather wrinkled," Bant's voice said from behind Obi-Wan's head, and he tilted it up to look at the Mon Calamari, opening his eyes. She was taller, and beginning to develop into one of the best examples of her species. She was smiling as she dropped her towel in a heap by Obi-Wan's.

"Hello, Bant."

She stepped into the pool, sinking down near Garen and turning to him.. "How are you feeling?" she asked

"Great," Garen said, sliding a little further into the heated water. "This is an excellent alternative to meditating when one is stressed. The tension goes into the water instead of the force." He sounded much more cheerful, and that cheered Obi-Wan. Bant often had that effect on them.

"And your skin resembles an Omali fruit," Bant added.

"But that's temporary," Obi-Wan said with a brushing gesture, splashing his friends. "Besides, the heat is worth the price."

"Hey." Bant splashed back.

"I didn't do it on purpose," Obi-Wan protested.

Bant rolled her large eyes at him and turned to Garen. "How are you really?" she asked, becoming serious.

"I'm fine," he said. "The pools are working wonders."

"And you, Obi-Wan?"

Obi-Wan grinned at her. "I'm fine. Glad to be home. What are you doing here?"

"Garen commed me when he came here so I could jois him," Bant said. "I hadn't even heard you were back yet. You're not here because you were injured, are you?"

"No," Obi-Wan assured her. "My Master needed to come, so I suggested it. He knows I have stuff to do, but he must have been feeling worse than I thought since he agreed to come. How is Master Fisto?"

"He's on a solo mission right now, and is expected back soon. I really hope I get to go on the next one."

Obi-Wan straightened, recognizing her tone. "It is not because...?" He paused, not sure how to continue that line of thought. Her first Master had left Bant behind often before she'd died.

She shook her head. "No, it is not quite the same as with Master Tahl," she said. "And I am old enough not to feel abandoned." She sighed in frustration. "But I do anyway."

"Do either of you have plans tomorrow night?" Obi-Wan blurted before he remembered that he and his Master were meeting with the Council that evening. More than once, a report for one mission had turned into a briefing for a new mission, with only a night's rest in between. Sometimes not even that. He hoped it wouldn't be the case tonight.

Garen shook his head. "No. Well, sleep," he added. Obi-Wan playfully splashed water in his direction and turned to his other friend.

Bant shook her head, her frustration fading. "I don't have many plans at all until Master Fisto returns, other than meeting Garen and catching up on the assignments he gave me to keep me occupied."

"My Master and I are reporting to the Council tonight. If we aren't given another mission, I'd like to get together with you - and Reeft, if he's here - tomorrow night. I'll comm you in the morning and let you know what's going on. If we're staying we can make plans then." He grimaced. "Of course, if you don't hear from me in the morning, that means we've already left." He gave them both a rueful look and they grinned knowingly back at him. It was hard to stay caught up with his friends with the kind of schedule he and Qui-Gon had.

"Do that," Bant said. "Comm me in the morning, and I'll get hold of Garen and Reeft. Garen's not in his quarters yet, and contacting him is a headache." She grinned at Garen's wordless protest, and he grinned back.

"Great," Obi-Wan said, and sighed. "I've got to get to my appointment with Master Satoru. I'm glad you were both here," he added, reaching for his towel as he started to get up. "I hope the Council doesn't assign Master Jinn and I another mission before we get a chance to hang out more." He wrapped his towel around his waist and went to find his Master. He found Qui-Gon relaxing with a Knight Obi-Wan didn't know. With a smile, Obi-Wan caught his eye and waved good-bye before going to get dressed for his appointment, waving at his friends as he passed them again.

Master Healer Ulani Satoru's office was about the same size as the common room and kitchen in his quarters. A small desk in the corner held a terminal, dark now. A large, comfortable couch - Obi-Wan knew how comfortable from experience - filled the wall opposite. Directly across from him, a large window looked down on one of the many gardens found in the temple. Comfortable chairs and cushions lined the rest of the walls. A tree with a small fountain, a sort of oasis, held court in a corner near the window, filling the room with the fresh smell of water and the quiet, calming sound of running water. Master Satoru turned from the desk when the door opened. He was a Coelli covered in iridescent blue scales everywhere Obi-Wan could see, except his face was a lighter shade of blue. He was calm, unlike the steward of duties at the Monastery at Bel Meridah, who was the same race but had always seemed nervous. Obi-wan paused in the doorway, keeping the door from closing. How long had it been since he'd thought of the steward? Or the monastery? Years, at least, so why now?

"Come in, Obi-Wan," Master Satoru said.

Obi-Wan sat in one of the overstuffed, wide chairs, the one he usually took. Master Satoru turned his chair fully away from his desk and drew closer to Obi-wan, stopping at a comfortable distance. "You look relaxed," he said, making a note on his datapad.

Obi-Wan smiled self-consciously. Being in the Mind Healer's office always made him nervous. "I was at the heated pools with some friends," he said. "It's had been a long time since I had seen them both together."

Master Satoru smiled in understanding. "How are your friends?"

"Garen was injured, which was why he was there; Bant arranged to meet him there."

"Why were you there?"

"My Master needed to visit the pools, so I invited him to go with me."

Master Satoru nodded. "What happened on your mission?"

Obi-Wan gathered his thoughts, and gave Master Satoru a quick summary of his mission, including his Master's visit to the cells there. Master Satoru looked interested, questioning him further about the experience, drawing out Obi-Wan's frustration about what his Master might have been trying to teach him. By the end of that discussion, Obi-Wan had more ideas to pursue, and maybe talk to his master about, and he'd settled further into his chair, no longer as nervous.

"How have your dreams been?"

Obi-Wan furrowed his brow. "Same," he said. "Some seem normal, and some are so familiar, it's like I've seen them before. Others were memories, but didn't seem to be triggered by anything."

Master Satoru nodded and recorded something on the datapad before him. "Did you dream on Jicynda?"

Obi-Wan took a deep breath. "Yes," he admitted. "I woke up a couple of times after I'd been released from the cells, feeling like I was being buried alive. The cells really are small, and they are underground. It was... uncomfortable."

"I see." Master Satoru made another note, then leaned forward slightly. "Any other dreams?"

Obi-Wan's shoulders tensed, and he pulled the gaudily decorated datapad from his belt pouch. He set it on his knee, in case he needed to refer to it. "Confusing, and... in some cases, disturbing."

"You often use those terms in describing your dreams," Master Satoru noted. "What do you mean?"

Obi-Wan tried to figure out how he could describe it. "Being buried alive has never really been a fear of mine," he said after a moment.

The Coelli nodded slowly. "What else?"

"One last night," he said with some difficulty. "I dreamed that Master Sorin puled on my braid again, but this time he spoke with Master Jinn's voice."

"What did he say?"

"That I was barely worthy of his time." He gripped the datapad, the helplessness and terror from the dream returning to him.

"Did you believe him?"

Obi-Wan stared at him, brought up short. "What?"

"Did you believe him? The words, the voice, the two together."

"I..." He hesitated, frozen. "Yes and no," he said slowly. "I woke too quickly to react in the dream, and when I turned on the light, I discovered that my braid had been caught under my arm. I thought that was what had triggered the dream, and wrote it down..." He paused again. "No, I didn't believe it." He became aware that his hands were beginning to hurt, and he forced himself to let go of his datapad, then set it on the arm of the chair.

Master Satoru nodded. "What else?"

"My second dream last night." He took a deep breath, struggling to release his anxiety into the Force. For an instant, he felt the same displacement he had last night.

"What about it?"

"It was difficult. The dream was... I don't remember much of the dream. I didn't when I wrote it down, even, only the things I said..."

"So there was some time between when you awoke and when you wrote it down?"

"Yes." In spite of everything he tried to do, his anxiety kept building.

"What caused that?"

"When I woke up, I said a name - the name of the Knight who attacked, I suppose." Obi-Wan got up and began to pace, arms folded across his chest. Healer Satoru leaned back in his chair, eyes narrowed as he watched him. "I don't remember the name. I was going to write down the dream when all of a sudden..." He paused, pacing the length of the small room twice before going on. "It was like I was drowning in this grief. I didn't know the Knight, Master Satoru. He was about my age. He'd turned against me, attacked me, and in the dream I didn't believe that he had, that he would, and then..." He paused to take a breath, trying to divert his anxiety. "My grief woke Master Jinn."

"What did he do?"

"He asked to come in to my room, and I invited him in. He just wanted to give me support and comfort. But after he was there, I felt like he shouldn't be there, like… he was out of reach and wouldn't return." He huffed in frustration and looked out the window, close to the little oasis. His hands clenched tighter, knuckles white. "I don't know to explain it better," he said without turning around. "Master Jinn said this afternoon that he felt like he'd stepped into an alternate reality. One in which he didn't exist. He asked me if I was uncomfortable with his presence."

"And you said?"

"That I wasn't. And that I did not understand why the Force would make me feel as if he should not be there." He sighed, and his grip loosened, arms dropping to hang at his sides again. "Eventually, everything became right again, and I wrote down what I remembered from the dream, and what happened afterward."

"What else?"

Obi-Wan sighed in relief, glad to be off that topic, even if only temporarily. "On the mission, I was so tired that I slept too hard to remember my dreams."

"What of any good dreams?"

Almost unconsciously, Obi-Wan smiled and turned around, leaning against the window. The tension drained from his shoulders as he told about the last dream he'd had the night before.

Master Satoru smiled in response. When Obi-Wan finished, he nodded slowly. "What do you think of these dreams?"

Obi-Wan sighed. That was his least favorite question, and yet it was most often the reason he visited the Mind Healer. "That's just it," he said, and moved closer to Master Satoru. "I don't know what to think. The one last night that woke Master Jinn. It was so weird, as if..." He trailed off, sinking into the chair he'd started the session out in. "As if the Knight were a good friend. Not a peer, because I didn't recognize him, but I still thought of him as a friend."

Master Satoru leaned forward. "How did it make you feel?"

Obi-Wan shrugged uncomfortably. "That was the one I didn't remember so well, that made me feel like Master Jinn and I had parted ways, permanently."

Master Satoru nodded. "How do you feel about it now?"

"Confused. Frustrated. At the time I felt betrayed. And I was grieving so much." Obi-Wan shuddered. "I'd like to forget that dream," he admitted. "I've never felt so... strongly about a dream. It's still... disturbing. I don't know the Knight, but I caught myself looking for him today and I don't even remember what he looks like."

To Obi-Wan's relief, the conversation turned to other topics, and it surprised him when a soft chime sounded. Master Satoru grimaced. "That's all the time you have. Master Jinn said you're reporting to the Council this evening?"

"Yes, Master."

The Coelli gave a wry smile. "I'd like to see you in two days, after the dining hall stops serving mid meal. Comm me if you must leave before then."

"Yes, Master Satoru." Obi-Wan stood and bowed. "Thank you."


End file.
